About ten years ago I was at a meeting at the Autoport with school administrators, teachers, psychologists and other interested parties as we mapped out the anti-bullying strategies we planned on teaching. At one point, after so many compliments about our wonderful town, our Happy Valley, I remember getting a big laugh when I reminded everyone that "we may be Happy Valley, but we are not Perfect Valley". At that very moment the sirens of a police car sounded not too far away and the point hit home.
This week it hit home again but with no laughter.
How we deal with the absolutely horrid and utterly impossible to believe facts around here we will only know in time. Our collective hearts are broken. Our pain is nothing compared to the pain of the children whose innocence was taken. Our Happy Valley is under a cloud of shame and disgrace. To understand this scandal fully is nauseating. It is tremendously sad and, as one of the local talk radio heads said on Thursday, it has robbed us of a bit of our identity.
After 34 years in this beautiful part of the world I feel that local is a good term to describe my family and me. Many PSUers come and go, pass through and love their time here, return only sometimes. Many others return to the stadium or to Arts Fest or the fireworks on the 4Th of July and relax and reminisce with a sigh of remembering the easier days of their past. Lots of people try and recapture their youth at homecoming (that usually ends badly). Many many others will return to live here. It is that kind of town. Three hours from everywhere but the hub of our lifestyle. A safe little nest in the valley.
Only now we find out that that safety did not extend to all. That is what breaks our hearts.
It is very very hard to explain to those that don't live here just how special this place is. To that end I will just say, trust me. It is not perfect by any means, and we know of it's flaws. However, my circle of connections is touched by this tragedy in what can only be described as the "trickle down" variety. By that I mean that no, I don't know the boys who were hurt irreparably by the predator whose name I wont mention, but, I do know or have met just about everyone else whose names have been in the national media. Years ago our sons sat in the local barbershop and took their turn after the legendary coach, they entered the football competition Punt, Pass and Kick held every year, I assisted the coach's wife when her daughter was being married,my husband would help her when he worked for Sears, I have seen the university president out and about and sat next to him numerous times when our kids played Little League. Our kids and their kids grew up together. One of my sons famously kicked out the lead witness during a youth baseball game a very long time ago...they have since become friendly, to a degree. At the high school football banquet years ago we sat at the table with the new coach and his wife and had a wonderful time. My street is the home of a man who works for the Second Mile and I know many kids who have benefited from that wonderful program. We have tailgated and been to games at the stadium. One of our sons has a degree from the university. I have had my pictures framed by the brother of one of the people who has ties to the case. It goes on and on and on. I am by no means bragging about the people here and me being close, we are not. I am saying that this is, after all, a small town. A close knit and small town.
But it goes deeper for me. I am around the children of these famous men all the time. The nieces and nephews, the grandchildren, the innocent ones who happen to have recognizable names. One of them is a lovely young one who I really am impressed by, I like her as a person, she is sparkly and sweet and kind and pretty feisty! Her sister and cousins are also very sweet. I worry about them and what this world wide attention will do to them. It will effect them. It is sad. Former students are now or have been on the football team, or may be sports writers or photographers at Penn State. Many many of my young friends participate in THON, the largest and most successful philanthropic event in all U.S. colleges, raising money to aide in cancer research.
Last night I drove through our main street, called College Avenue. I was passing through after running some errands. The quiet lovely avenue was filled with traffic. More than on a normal Friday before a home game. The traffic was backed up because of the news trucks from all over. I counted 12 of them and more were at the stadium and at the coaches house and the Second Mile. It was incredible. Remember, we are in the middle of the state, three hours from every major city. There was nothing new to say but there they were with wires and mics and booms across the lawn of Old Main and downtown. It felt as if they were continually ripping the scab off the fresh wound. If I felt this way as a townie, imagine how my young friends must feel.
So now what?? I can only hope that the news does not get worse. I pray that soon we can be better to each other. I will walk in the vigil tomorrow to promote awareness. I will cry many more tears for the boys. I will pray for my bad thoughts about the perpetrator to be lessened. I know that this is not over. But, it is my home, my son's love it here. We have built a life here. It is Happy Valley. I also ask all of you who don't live here to remember that lots and lots of good and decent people are proud to call State College home. We need your love and the victims need your prayers.
amen
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